MAM

Children's channel Nickelodeon and Comcast, the third largest cable company in the US have announced an alliance. The deal concerns Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards 2002 scheduled to take place on 20 April in the States.

Fans can meet popular Nick characters at select Comcast kiosk locations throughout the company's service area. Characters from popular NickToons series, including SpongeBob Squarepants,The Wild Thornberrys and Rugrats will appear at select Comcast kiosks. Customers who sign up for Comcast High-Speed Internet during the events will receive a special Kids Choice Awards gift.

On 20 April, fans can log onto www.nick.com for online chats with stars attending the event and watch the live special on Comcast cable.

According to an official release, Comcast's service lets users do everything on the Internet faster - from downloading music, games, graphics and streaming video to online banking and shopping. Unlike traditional dial-up services, cable-powered Internet service is "always-on," so there are never any frustrating busy signals, and a phone line isn't required, the company claims.